Power Juiced
Friday, July 31st, 2009Our house has needed a cutting board since Melissa moved out, but we all keep forgetting to get one. It’s just not one of those things you think about, I guess. I found a cheap-but-nice one at Ross yesterday on sale and brought it home thinking how surprised and delighted the roommates would be that one of us finally remembered. My step toward a more complete kitchen was trumped when Caitlin walked in the door carrying a Jack LaLanne “As Seen On TV” Power Juicer.
Kirby had found it on Craigslist, never-been-used, for a fraction of what it normally sells for. An amazing machine, you drop huge chunks of fruit down the chute and it separates the juice from the pulp, rinds, skins, seeds, or whatever! It is so easy, and tasty, and fun!
And healthy. The rind, skins, pulp is where most of the minerals and vitamins are. And while the juice comes out as a liquid through the front spout, the non-juice bits of the fruits and vegetables are splattered into a separate container in a sludge-like consistency. Fruit/veggie puree, great for salsas, compotes, or yogurt topping.
And cheap. We live right around the corner from a produce market that sells fresh fruits and vegetables for unheard-of prices. Seriously, as soon as I saw the juicer I ran out and bought thirty pounds of produce for about $5. And we juiced it all - cucumbers, apples, plums, blueberries, carrots, kiwis.
It won’t do bananas. Or avocados. But that’s what blenders are for, and fortunately we have one of those too! I just might open a juice stand out on the sidewalk to pay off my student loans…
1 pint of blueberries
1 kiwi
2 grapefruit
YUM!
But wait - there’s more!
I collected the leftover “sludge” that the juicer couldn’t turn into juice. I put it in the blender with ice cubes, milk, two bananas, some of the fresh juice and little bit of vanilla.
SUPER YUM!
Plus I get all the minerals and vitamins from the blueberry skins, the kiwi fuzz, and the grapefruit rind, so there’s absolutely no wasted fruit!
Juicer + blender = a complete kitchen. We can get rid of the oven now.
And it’s so easy to clean! Thank Jack Lalanne!!!
